Russia: Iran Deal Ends Need for NATO European Missile Shield

Russian officials are calling for the U.S. to stop developing its European land-based missile defense program following a deal reached over the weekend that curtail Iran’s atomic weapons program.

“If the Iran deal is put into practice, the stated reason for the construction of the defense shield will no longer apply,” Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, told reporters in Rome on Monday according to a report in Russia Today.

On Sunday, U.S. and Iranian officials reached a six-month deal trading stopping development of Iran’s nuclear program for an easing of sanctions from the European Union and the U.S.

The tentative deal with renewed calls from Russian officials for the U.S. and NATO to scrap their BMD plans. Russian officials have said the EPAA and previous ballistic missile defense (BMD) plans target Russia’s nuclear ballistic missiles instead of rogue missiles — unlike U.S. and NATO claims.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said there would likely be no change in U.S. plans to deploy a European-based

The U.S. is currently building two ground-based BMD systems in Europe as part of the 2009 European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA).

The Aegis Ashore sites in Romania and Poland are based on the Aegis combat system used onboard U.S. Navy guided missile cruisers and destroyers.

The site in Romania began construction last month and is slated to go online in 2015.

The site in Poland is slated to be operational in 2016.

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About Sam LaGrone

Sam LaGrone is the editor of USNI News. He has covered legislation, acquisition and operations for the Sea Services since 2009 and spent time underway with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Canadian Navy.

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The Iranian nuclear dear is far from being etched in the annals of history. The agreement for Iran to suppress its weapons development program is just a written promise and easily broken just as promises between Persia and the IAEA have been broken in the past. Being that the IAEA receives roughly 25% of its budget from the US essentially making it a US agency, whose to say that this is the one that Iran follows?

Marcd30319

Dream on, Sergey.

Matthew Hipple

Let’s be honest, if **one day** the Iranians decide making money is more important than setting fires… probably! The missile shield was never designed for Russian missiles. Better spend that money on missile corvettes for the Pacific, special forces in Africa, and the space program.

Ruckweiler

When the Russians start giving strategic advice all I have to say is “keep your powder dry and your hatchet scoured”.